


Penstemon and Mandevilla and Salvia and Lilium

by momothesweet



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Flowers, Friendship, Gen, Shiro has a good day, that's it that's the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 03:56:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17891036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momothesweet/pseuds/momothesweet
Summary: New florist Shiro gets to know some of the people in town.





	Penstemon and Mandevilla and Salvia and Lilium

**Author's Note:**

> My entry from _[Timelines: A Voltron AU Zine!](http://voltronauzine2018.tumblr.com)_ It's good old friendly stuff--no ships, no convoluted plot. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Also check out Shino's amazing [art that accompanies this piece!](https://twitter.com/rainlikestars/status/1098626598411022336)

For the day, Shiro has the shop to himself.

Alfor and Allura are on a day trip to see some relatives several towns over, so Shiro is left in charge. Thankfully, this town is tiny. It’s nothing like the huge city he lived in with sky-high buildings and a shop on every corner. Here, Shiro can breathe. He can say hi to familiar faces and get to know most of them before the year is over. In fact, that’s a pretty plausible goal.

He flips the sign on the front door to “Open” and goes back to watering the plants. The peonies and daffodils are the eye-catchers for the summer, so they sit right at the front of the window. Surrounding them are two types of lilies that should entice customers as to what they are and what’s the difference between the two. Everywhere else in the shop lies a variety of greenery that gives the interior an overgrown feel, as if nature has come to take over the building. Shiro likes the aesthetic. He’s never seen this much green where he used to live.

So long as he keeps everything pretty and rings everyone up properly, Shiro can feel that he’s going to have a good day.

The first who does is a young woman, donning round glasses and a messy ponytail. Shiro stands up straighter and makes sure he points his spray bottle away from the customer. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’,” she says. “I’m here for an order? I’m Pidge.”

“Of course.” He smiles and heads for the bench behind the counter, holding all of the bouquets that have already been arranged and set for pickup. He finds the tag for a Pidge Gunderson (is that her real name?) and picks up two small pots housing a foxglove beardtongue each. “A couple of beardtongues for you?”

“They’re _Penstemon_!” she says.

Shiro raises an eyebrow as he places the pot on the counter. “ _Penstemon_?”

“ _Penstemon digitalis_ ,” she elaborates unhelpfully, though Shiro can deduce that this is a fancier name for ‘beardtongue.’ “Hummingbirds love these flowers. My brother and I have never seen one in person!”

“I see,” Shiro says as he takes her cash and hands her the appropriate amount of change. “Make sure you space these guys out. There’s a guide to taking care of them taped to the pots.”

“Thanks! You’re Shiro, right?”

“That’s right,” he nods. “Wasn’t it me who took your order?”

“Nah, but I heard about some new guy named Shiro from my brother, who heard it from Hunk, who heard it from Allura, who’s your boss!”

Shiro laughs. “I guess the word about me got around fast.”

Pidge laughs, too. “You haven’t seen the half of it. See ya later!”

Shiro waves goodbye and watches Pidge leave with a grin, all the while the morning grows busier outside with joggers and dog walkers and older folks settling into the coffee shop across the street with their newspapers and lattes. The shop starts to pick up, too, with customers simply wanting to either browse the latest blooms or purchase a dozen roses for someone special. Shiro keeps busy, getting to know a few patrons by name and explaining some of his own tactics for creating a beautiful arrangement for the right occasion. He still has quite a bit to learn from his bosses, but he can manage to pick a few flowers here and there and impressing others with his color palette choices.

Later on in the afternoon, Shiro takes advantage of the lull and eats lunch at the counter. He’s on the last bite of his sandwich when a teenage boy walks in, inhaling sharply and looking around like he’s making sure nobody’s followed him. He huffs, then avoids Shiro’s gaze by pretending to look interested in the carnations on sale. It’s easy to read the kid; Shiro can spot a boy who feels completely out of place from a mile away. Kindness and coolness are usually the solutions to calming them down.

“Hi there,” Shiro greets from the counter. “Let me know if you need any help finding something!”

The boy looks up, startled, then shrugging it off. “Huh? Oh, thanks. I got it covered, dude.”

Sure he does. Shiro suppresses the chuckle in his chest and clears the counter, then turns back around to find the boy right before him, tapping his nails rapidly on the wood. He laughs nervously as Shiro approaches him, still trying to maintain whatever cool facade he’s going for.

“Alright, you got me!” he exclaims. “I _don’t_ got it covered. How am I supposed to know the difference between roses and sunflowers and daisies and whatever? I never learned this stuff!”

There it is. Shiro replies with a warm smile and adjusts his apron. “That’s why I’m here to help. What exactly are you looking for?”

“Uhhhh.” The boy pulls out his phone and taps several times before holding it to Shiro’s face. “These. I have no idea what they are but my mom really wants ‘em for the house and for when my grandma comes over.”

“Oh, rocktrumpets,” Shiro says, easily recognizing the bright red petals in the picture. He steps out from behind the counter and heads for the potted flowers next to some other summer features. “Your mom likes them?”

“ _And_ my grandma,” he emphasizes. “I dunno what’s up with them. Family tradition or something. Or they’re just pretty. Who knows!”

“They are indeed pretty. Your mother and grandmother have good taste in flowers. It’s got a cool name, too.”

“Yeah, huh. You’re right!” He brightens up some more as Shiro rings up the order and sticks a guide to caring for the flowers onto the pot. “I’m Lance, by the way. You new around here?”

“That’s the word,” Shiro says. “It’s nice to meet you, Lance. I’m Shiro. Make sure these guys get enough water so they last the whole summer.”

“Yeah, you bet. If I don’t, I’m gonna have to be running back here for another bouquet. Thanks, Shiro!”

He waves at Lance as he leaves the shop. A few seconds later, he attempts to hide the flower pot under his shirt like he’s embarrassed to be holding something with beauty. He’ll come around, hopefully. There’s absolutely nothing wrong being surrounded by the freshness and fragrance of flowers. It didn’t take Shiro long to understand that. Shiro hopes Lance can understand that as well. Kindness and coolness.

The rest of the day goes by slower than the morning, the occasional customers coming in to browse the shrubs and to ask for advice on tending their own gardens. Pidge mentioned a Hunk earlier this morning and Shiro lucked out by meeting him when he wanted to know some more about growing certain herbs. He’s offered lunch on the occasion that his herbs grow well, which is a sweet gesture given the already-friendly people he’s met all day. The sun goes down and Shiro is ready to clean up about an hour before the store closes, until one last person walks in with about the same demeanor as Lance earlier this afternoon. Another kid?

Shiro’s ready to greet him but the kid beats him to the punch.

“I need two arrangements of white lilies,” he starts, “with veronica pink marshmallows and lavender accents.”

“Oh.” Shiro blinks, then nods and gets right to work. The boy doesn’t say anything as he gathers the flowers from around the shop, only watches while he folds his arms and leans on a bench with sunflowers on display. So things aren’t completely awkward, he asks, “I take it you know I’m the new guy around here, too?”

“I’ve heard some things,” he answers. “Shiro’s actually a nickname, right?”

He pauses and looks up from his bunch of lilies. “Yeah. You’re the first to figure that out. How’d you know?”

He shrugs. “Lucky guess?”

“Heh. And are you going to introduce yourself with a nickname?”

“Nah. I’m Keith. You’re pretty good with those flowers. The last guy didn’t even know what an orchid was.”

Shiro finishes one bouquet before moving onto the next, a thought striking him when he blurts, “Ah, so _you’re_ the one who told him off. And broke a few pots in the process.”

Keith sours a bit, tightening his hold on himself. “Is that all you’ve heard about me?”

Whoops. Shiro nods reluctantly and adds the lavender to the second bouquet. “I’m sorry. But the nice thing about being new is learning more than just what you’ve heard. You’re pretty good at recognizing your flowers. There’s a story there.”

“Probably for another time. You’re closing soon and I don’t want to keep you here late.”

“ _And_ you’re polite.” Shiro hands Keith the bouquets and they exchange small smiles and cash. “You can shares some of those stories and I’ll bring some lunch. Guy named Hunk came in for some seeds and promised me some food.”

“You met Hunk?” Keith warms up even more, relaxed and much less rough than his demands for a couple of bouquets. “I think he’s got his own rose bush in his parents’ backyard.”

“Really? That’s a huge accomplishment.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know yet,” Keith says, “but I think you’ll like it here. You have a good night, Shiro. See ya around.”

“Good night.”

And with that, Shiro flips the sign closed and locks the front door. He looks around, surveys the shrubs and vines and everything in between, then grabs a broom.

There’s a kind of peace in being here, meeting others, picking flowers. Though Shiro hasn’t been here for long, he’s already decided that he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments, kudos, feedback and Penstemon are greatly appreciated. <3
> 
> [Tumblr](http://peachofwork.tumblr.com)


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